Driving mechanism



Patented Mar.A 31, 1925.

GEORGE L. MARTIN'. 0F CANTON. MISSOURI.

DRIVING MECHANISM. y

Application filed January 16, 1924. ASerial No. 686,631.

ToraZZ Azr/wm JZ 'may concern.' Y

Be it known that I, Gnonon L. MARTIN, a

citizen otl the United States, residing at Canton, in the county` of Lewis and State otl h'lissouri,'have inventedl certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism, ot which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for.

scillating the tubs ot washing machines' which are mounted on horizontal pivots; and it consists in the novel construction and combination ot the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed whereby the speed ot' the tub may be. varied at will without varying' the speed ot the inotor.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side 4View ot' a washing` machine provided with driving mechanism according to this invention, and with one side of the casing removed. Fig. 2 is a planl view oit the driving mecha nism. Fig. 3 is an end view ot the same, showing also the tub. Fig. 4r is a detail view of the rock-shai`t- Figj is drawn to a larger scale than the other ligurcs.

rlhis mechanism is specially adapted to `drive washing` machines oit the type shown in the patent issued to me, No. 911,101, on Feb. 9,1909. In such a machine a' tub G having a curved bottom 7 and'rounded ends S is mounted to oscillate on horizontalpivots 9 in a suitable frame or casing l0. The tub is preferably oscillated by an electric motor 12, but any other approved motor may be used. rhis motor is preferably connected by a driving belt la with a belt pnlleyl on a counter-shaft- 16 which is journaled in the easing'. The countershaft has a toothed pinion 1T scoured on it which `nears into a toothed wheel 18 secured on a driving shatt 19 which is also journaled in the trame. A crankpin itl projects from the wheel 1S. rock-shalt 2l ismounted in bearings@ on the trame, and is nr rided with a driving` arm Q-i which projects upwardly. rlhe d riving arm 2l is operatively connected with the crank pin QOby means ot a connecting'- rod Q5, that the rockshat`t is oscillated continuously as long as the motor is at work. The rock-shaft has a downwardly cranked lion at one end, and a long` arm 2T tends upwardly 'from this cranked portion past the axis ot the roek-shatt- The sid e 'of the tub preferably have two4 similar' i ,naped trames 130 secured 'to 'them in order to stiften them and distribute the strains. The pivots project from the top parts, and one member 3l of each of these frames projects below the tub and has a coupling-rod secured to it and extending erosswise of the" tub underneath it. A

curved connecting-rod 36 is provided, and

has an eye 37 at one end which is'slidable upon the-'arm 2T. This connecting-rod is preferably formed'ot two side bars having distance-pieces 88 secured between them, and its upper end is pivoted on one end portion of the coupling-rod 32. Av short rod 40 is pivoted 'at one end to the frame by a pin 4l, and a long rod 49. is pivoted by a pin 43 to the other end of the rod 40, and is 'normally arranged at substantially a rightangle to it. The other end of the long rod 42'is pivoted to a slide 44 by a pinft. This slide works in a vertical guide 461-on the casing, and is provided withv a handle 47, and a spring-controlled catch 48 of any approved torni for holding it in position. The joint pin 43 of the two rods is operatively connected with the slidable end portion' ot the connecting-rod 8G by a link 49 and pin 50. The eye 37 is raised and lowered on the long a rm 27 to vary the speed of the tub. lVhen the eye is raised the speed and ainplitnde ot' oscillation of the tub is increased, and when the eye is lowered until it is in the cranked portion 2G, and in line with the axis ot the rock-shaft, the tub is locked and is held stationary with the motor still at work.

rl`he clothes are placed inthe tub, and the motor is started with the tub stationary. The eye 37 is then raised gradually on the arm 2T so that the tub is oscillated with gradually increasing` speed until the inertia of 'it and its contents has been overcome and the desired maximum speed has been attained gently.. r:Che action is reversed when the tub is beingr stopped, and this manner ot starting' and stopping the tub is round to be highly advantageous. A wringing mach-ine can also be driven by the motor when the tub is held in a stationary position.

`What I claim is:

l. The combination, with a pivoted washingl machine tub, of a rock-shaft vmounted below the tub and provi-ded with a cranked portion having` an upwardly projecting arm, means for oscillating` the roclshartt, aconnccting-ro'd pivotally connected with the tub and provided with an eye which is slidable on the said arm, two rods pivotally connected together and arranged at an angle to each other, one of the Irods having a sta tionary pvot, a slidable catoh for adjnsting and retaining the two rods, and a link pivotally connecting the jointed ends of the said rods With the eye'of the Saidv convheating-rod. i

2. The' combination, with a pivoted Washing machine tub, of a rock-shaft provided at one end with acrank having a crank arm which projects past the axisof the roekshaft, means for oscillating the' rook-shaft, a

connecting-rod pivoted to the tub and pro-4 said crank arm, two rods 'pivoted together -and arranged at an angle to eeh other, one -Qf the rods having a stationary pivot, means or'adjusting the vrods to vary the position of their joint, and means for connecting the jointof the rods With the eye of the Conneeting-rod.'

In testimony whereof I have aHiXed my' vs1 gnature. y

'GEORGE L. MARTIN. 

